TC4 ER-2 Science Flight: July 24, 2007
Tentative Flight Plan
Flight Scientists: P. Newman, S. Platnick
Sortie: 07-9021
Pilot: Denis Steele
Takeoff (MROC): 1200 UTC (6:00 AM local)
Landing (MROC): 1850 UTC (12:50 PM local)
Duration: 6:50
Objectives:
•
•
•
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To perform coordinated cloud sampling of maritime cirrus shield with DC-8
and ER-2.
To sample boundary layer/free troposphere air feeding convection
To sample cloud outflow
To profile dust optical depths between the Caribbean and the Pacific
Satellite Coordination:
Terra overpass at 15:36 UT well to the east of the ER-2 racetrack (192˚ heading)
over Columbia. The image below shows the TRMM overpass with the TMI swath
superimposed as the dashed lines (image from the NASA Langley TC4 satellite
web page: http://angler.larc.nasa.gov/tc4/).
Flight Plan Summary (see map):
Takeoff at 1200 UT (6 AM local time). The ER-2 initially flies ENE over the
Caribbean into relatively clear air while gaining altitude (waypoint A on the
map). The ER-2 will then fly SW along a line (A→B) with relatively clear air
below the aircraft in order to view aerosol concentrations. After reaching B, the
ER-2 will fly a racetrack pattern (B→C→D→E repeat) in coordination with DC8.
Approximately 7 patterns will be flown. The racetrack is positioned
downstream of expected ITCZ convective systems. At about 1800 UT, the ER2 will turn homeward for MROC and will land at approximately 1850 UT (plot
courtesy of Leslie Lait).
red line = ER-2 flight track
color image: accumulated precipitation from (1200-1800 UT)
yellow wind barbs (m/s)
Expected Cloud Conditions during flight:
The racetrack pattern (B→C→D→E repeat) is set in the ITCZ. The forecast map (see
above) shows precipitation accumulation. The track is set near a forecast maximum of
precipitation. The A→B track is set for relatively cloud free conditions in order to
see the African dust plume. Panama bight convection is predicted to be relatively
weak for July 24. The 250 hPa (~32,000 feet) wind pattern shows that the cirrus
detrainment for the ITCZ clouds will be from the East to the West at about 10 m/s.
Proposed Plan:
Proposed Waypoints:
MROC
10o 00'N
84o 13'W
12:00
ER-2 Science Instrument Payload and Status:
Instrument
Status
Notes
CoSSIR
Compact Scanning Sub-mm wave Imaging
Radiometer
NA
Ballasted out
MAS
MODIS Airborne Simulator
NA
Hard failed, flying as ballast
CPL
Cloud Physics Lidar
CRS
Cloud Radar System
EDOP
ER-2 Doppler Radar
AMPR
Advanced Microwave Precipitation
Radiometer
S-HIS
Scanning High Resolution Interferometer
IR Radiometer
Broadband flux radiometer
(nadir & zenith)
SSFR
Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer
(nadir & zenith)
MVIS
video camera
MTP
Microwave Temperature Profiler
G = good; P = partial data collected; F = failure, no data